All the Way
by LettyRodriguez01
Summary: He was her best friend, she was his first love. He left without saying a word. It's been eight years since they last saw each other. She's helping run her father's million-dollar auto body & repair business and he's back in town. What happens when they cross paths? AU Dotty
1. Not Just A Little Grease Monkey Anymore

Letty's House, 8:00am. Monday, Early October.

Letty flinched as her alarm blared and beeped. She buried her head under the covers hoping to drown it out but finally gave up after a minute. Her hand found the button on the alarm, slapping it off before she dragged herself out of bed.

Half asleep, Letty shuffled into her bathroom and started the shower, stripping down before stepping in with a low sigh. As the water danced on her back, she turned her mind to what she had to do that day. It was a relatively light day, just a few meetings later with the project crew that was building the new garage. It was coming along nicely, but Letty didn't want anything unexpected to crop out when they were due to open in a few months.

She made a note that she had to start opening applications for new mechanics too. The ones at the others sites could cover a few shifts at the beginning but she would really need a full team at the new one.

Letty rinsed the body wash off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapped it tightly before heading back into her room. She made a face as she looked at her clothes choice for the day. She would have to talk to her dad about having some sort of casual Fridays. Pant suits were not really her style.

She grabbed her keys from the hook by the door once she was ready and headed out to the driveway. Letty ran her hand over her beloved Nissan 240sx. Her father told her that she should get a more suitable car to do business but Letty refused to part with it. She had compromised by changing the purple paint job to a matte black.

Twisting the key, Letty frowned when the engine didn't start, hearing instead a whirring as it tried to.

'Not today.' Letty groaned, getting out to lift the hood. Her hands delved into the guts of her car, trying to figure out the problem. Finally, she noticed a puncture in part of the carburetor. 'Shit…' She had no idea how it had happened, though her father would probably argue that it was because she drove too hard. If there was such a thing.

She pulled out her phone and called her father's closest garage, hoping they would come tow her car and give her a ride.

A gruff voice answered a few seconds later. 'Ortiz Auto Body?' Letty smiled, she knew instantly that it was Frank, one of her dad's best mechanics.

'Hey Frank, it's Letty.'

'What can I do for you, Miss Ortiz?' Frank asked, making Letty smile more. He'd insisted ever since she was a young girl that he calls her Miss Ortiz. Letty had always rolled her eyes and told him to call her Letty like everyone else, but he refused.

'My car won't start and I need a tow to the garage, maybe a ride to another garage. Is anyone free to do it?'

'Let me check sweetheart.'

'Thanks, Frank.' Letty heard him put the phone down and go talk to a few people. She leaned against her car and casually glanced at her nails, grimacing when seeing how chipped they were. She made a mental note to call Mia and make an appointment at the nail salon. Letty would never admit it out loud, but she'd begun to enjoy her mani/pedi sessions every two weeks with her best friend. The girls were so busy now, especially with Mia's wedding in a few months and the new garage opening, making time for each other wasn't always easy and Letty secretly liked being pampered so it was a win-win.

She heard the phone pick up on the other side. 'Miss Ortiz? Someone will be with you in ten minutes. I told them to just ring your doorbell.'

'Great, thanks again Frank.'

'Anytime Miss Ortiz.'

Letty hung up and headed back inside, grabbing a piece of fruit from the bowl and deciding to catch up on her emails as she waited for the tow truck to arrive. She laughed as she opened a mim from Vince of a cat in a box, shaking her head in amusement before seeing a few emails from Jesse. She raised a brow, impressed when she saw the new design templates he'd sketched up. The guy really was a genius, she thought.

Scrolling through some marketing emails, she quickly replied to a few then saw that Mia had emailed her a bridesmaid dress idea.

_From: miasparkles87 _

_To: greasemonkeygirl712 _

_Subject: Don't say no until you try it on!_

She had to chuckle at the fact Mia still used the email addresses they'd made in ninth grade. Letty took a bite of her apple and opened the attachment, bracing herself for pink lace and lots of tulle. Instead, she saw a beautiful and elegant floor length red dress with a black sash. Letty stared at the picture, impressed at Mia's choice. It was strapless, the sash coming around the waist and tying in a small, neat bow at the back.

Letty dialed her friend's number with a grin, excited to tell her she liked the dress.

'You hate it.' Came Mia's voice, sadness in her tone.

Letty rolled her eyes, hearing the doorbell ring and got up to answer. 'You didn't even give me a chance to say anything Mi. I actually happen to really like it and we can try it on whenever we're both next free.'

She heard a squeal down the phone and held it away as Mia calmed down. 'Yes! I can't wait, Lett! I'll make the appointment today!'

'Yeah that sounds good, chica.' Letty pulled back the door, her jaw dropping as she saw who was standing on the other side. 'Holy shit…' she whispered, her eyes locking onto his as he turned to face her fully.

'Letty?' Mia piped up for attention after a few seconds. 'Letty! You sound like you just saw a ghost.'

'Yeah, I think I have. Your brother.'

Author's Note: Had this idea for a while. I really want to go back and finish my other stories but for now this takes priority.

**Next: Dom and Letty meet again.**


	2. Daddy's Girl Grown Up

_**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback, it's appreciated! Hope you like where this goes. Read, enjoy and review!**_

_Previously:_

_'Letty?' Mia piped up for attention after a few seconds. 'Letty! You sound like you just saw a ghost.'_

_'Yeah, I think I have. Your brother.'_

Letty continued to stare for what felt like hours but must only have been several seconds. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she was sure that he would be able to see it. It had been eight years, what was he doing here now?

"Mia I'll call you back." She hung up and shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a second before opening them again. He was still there. Hands in his pockets with a small lopsided grin on his face.

He took a slight step forward. She took a step back. "Well, well, well, as I live and breathe. Look at you. Little Letty is all grown up."

Letty swallowed at the sound of his voice again for the first time in so long. "I was grown up the last time you saw me." She gritted out, willing the butterflies that were knotting in her stomach to go away.

"Not like this you weren't." Dom scoffed. She could only guess what he was thinking as his eyes raked over her, taking in the powder blue silk blouse and high waist black pants she had on.

"What are you doing here?" She tried to sound sure of herself, but she knew he'd hear the waver in her voice.

Thankfully, he chose to ignore it, leaning against the doorway and jabbing a thumb behind him at the tow truck. "I'm your ride. Your dad asked me to come and get you, everyone else was busy." His shoulders raised and fell casually but she detected a sense of discomfort from him too.

"My dad? Why were you at the garage?" Letty was confused. He was back, and hanging out with her father?

"I saw the new place opening and went to ask if he was hiring any new mechanics."

"Wh-what did he…say?"

"He told me to come and pick you up. Now come on, we should get going. Don't want you late for work." He sent a wink in her direction, making her more uneasy, but Letty nodded and followed him out, locking up after herself.

Dom appraised the Nissan, seeming to take in the changes since he'd last seen it. Part of him couldn't believe that she had kept it for so long but he knew how much she cared about it. They'd spent many hours in her garage at home building the Nissan from the ground up. It had been a present from her father for her sixteenth birthday. Letty and Dom had spent almost all the time she wasn't in school or he wasn't in work fixing it up.

He popped the hood, making like he was checking what was wrong but he was also curious. The engine had been upgraded a good bit, he noted. More power than they'd built it with originally. He figured she would've kept up with newest parts considering her family business. He shook his head at all the new parts and closed the hood, seeing her leaning against the car with her arms folded.

"What happened to the warrior princess?" He asked, pointing to the side panel of the car. When they had come to choose a color for the Nissan, Dom had laughed when she'd chosen the purple almost maroon color. Since when did Letty like girly colors? She'd scowled and flipped him the bird but grinned when he finally conceded and told the guys to paint it the color she wanted. When she'd added the warrior princess decal, similar to the rocket man he had on his Mazda, he'd approved. Now that suited Letty.

"I'm not sixteen anymore." She told him. Dom didn't need to be told. He had definitely noticed she was not sixteen anymore.

They hooked the Nissan up to the tow truck and Letty climbed in the front cab next to him. The tension between the two was more than she'd expected. How was she supposed to talk to him? Were things supposed to go back to normal now that he was back out of nowhere?

"How long have you been back?" She asked finally.

Dom's grip on the steering wheel told her it was a slightly loaded question and they both knew it. What she meant was, why didn't he call to tell her he was coming back.

"Got in late last night."

"And Mia didn't know?" She frowned at the thought of Mia knowing and not telling her, but she guessed from the surprised screams from her on the phone that the younger Toretto hadn't known either. She had felt her phone buzz with a missed call but she decided it should be Dom that talked to his sister, not her.

Dom sighed. "It was kinda last minute. I didn't want to tell her and get her hopes up in case it didn't happen."

Letty nodded, she could understand that. Since Dom's abrupt departure eight years ago, Mia had taken a while to get back to being herself. She missed her older brother so much and hated that he was gone. It didn't matter if she was eighteen and going to college, she still needed him. She'd needed him and he'd left.

"She misses you." Letty told him quietly, glancing out the window watching other cars passing. She wanted to tell him that she'd missed him too, but she held back. He didn't deserve to know that. She turned her head towards him and raised a brow. "So I take it since you were looking for a job that you're back for good?"

"Yeah, I'm back for good." Dom rolled to a stop at a red light and turned to look at her. God, had she always been this pretty? Age had done well by Letty. She had a definite more mature sense to her but he could tell behind the pants suit and the faint hint of make up she worse that she was still the same girl he'd been best friends with. Or at least he hoped she was.

He saw her nod and look back out the window again, silence filling the truck again. He wasn't enjoying the slightly icy welcome from her but he put it down to the fact he had surprised her. That and probably the way he had left still bothered her. As Dom pulled up at the garage, he opened his mouth to speak but she was already climbing out. He sighed before following her.

Letty sprung out of the truck as soon as Dom parked, heading inside quickly. She smiled and waved at some of the guys as she headed into her dad's office. Dom watched her close the door behind her then a few moments later heard her rambling to her dad in Spanish.

Dom frowned, wishing he could understand what she was saying, especially when he heard his name being spoken. She was doing it deliberately, he knew. Letty and her dad hardly ever spoke to each other in Spanish unless it was a private conversation. He wished now that he had learned more Italian from his mom before she passed. At least then he could understand a little.

Letty's father, Fausto Ortiz, watched his daughter as she ranted on and on about how he had better not hire Dominic Toretto as a new mechanic. It was her job to take on the new hires. Not his. He'd given her a look to remind her that he was still the boss of the company, despite what she might think sometimes.

Fausto half-listened, nodding when appropriate and rolling his eyes when her dramatics got a little much. He glanced out the office window, seeing Dom watching them and bit back his chuckle. Only Dominic Toretto could get his daughter so riled up. When they were kids, he couldn't count the times that his daughter had run into the house or garage, shouting about something her best friend had done.

At first, when they'd become friends, Fausto had not approved. Letty was only ten and Dom was twelve. Not much of an age gap but enough to put him on edge. Dom lived down the street and had good parents, he liked them a lot and he knew that they raised their kids well. But Dom was still a hell raiser, always getting into fights and showing off. He'd been less than pleased when his little Leticia had come home one day and announced that she was going to ride her bike with Dominic Toretto.

After a few months, though, Fausto could already see that the helion that was Dom was completely enamored with his little girl. They were just kids but he could see that he was protective of her and always doted on her. Whatever Letty wanted, Letty got.

He had been shocked and saddened by Dom's leaving, knowing it crushed Letty. Her best friend of eight years had up and left. He could understand why, respected Dom's decision in fact. But he hated him for upsetting his daughter.

"Leticia," Fausto reasoned, knowing the use of her full name would get her attention, "calm down. He's a good mechanic and we need people. This discussion is over sweetheart."

Letty's mouth gaped open, then closed. Her jaw clenched but she finally nodded, seeing that this was one time she would not get her way with her father.

"Fine!" She huffed, storming back out the office. She paused, seeing Dom looking at her and just shook her head, heading to talk to the guys about her car.

Dom watched her, shaking his head too. Being home wasn't going to be easy.

**Next: Dom sees Mia. Someone special in Letty's life?**


	3. Someone to Lean On

**A/N: I felt unsettled after I wrote this the first time and after considering a few comments, I decided to re-write the end of this chapter. I think putting Leon/Letty together is a bit of a cop out and has been kinda done to death so decided to challenge myself by going a different route. After all, I want this to focus on Dotty and not detract too much from them. I like this a lot better and I hope you guys do, too!**

Mia's Kitchen, 12:36pm, Tuesday, Early October. 

Dom watched his little sister move around her kitchen with ease as she made them something for lunch. Well, little might not be the right word for her anymore. He'd seen her in person three times since he'd left and had talked with her on Skype every month but this was different. The younger Toretto had definitely grown up and he wasn't sure if he liked it.

Mia had squealed and rushed to hug him when he'd arrived earlier, but already he felt like the shine had worn off. Or maybe this time it was because he was staying. For good. The thought made his head spin. For almost a decade he had spent his life moving around, never settling in one place for very long.

Being in LA, in his old house would be an adjustment. Settling back into a routine here was something he hadn't given a lot of thought too yet. Mr. Ortiz had been kind enough to offer him a job at the new garage but it wouldn't be open for a few more weeks so until then he figured he would catch up with old friends and his sister.

"Have you seen Vince and the guys yet?" Mia asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

Dom shook his head. "Not yet, I was gonna meet them after I caught up with you. Maybe go for a few beers or something."

"Jesse doesn't drink anymore, Dom."

"What?"

Mia turned away from him, draining the gnocchi before letting it rest in the strainer over the pot. She stirred the sauce on the stove a few times then got out some plates. Dom took them from her to set on the table along with silverware, licking his lips at the smell. It smelled just like their mother used to make it.

"He stopped almost two years ago. I thought I told you about this?" Mia poured the gnocchi and sauce into a large bowl, bringing it to the table with a block of parmesan and sat opposite her brother as he slid into a seat.

"No, you never told me. Why?" He served himself a large portion of the gnocchi, taking the cheese and grated a liberal amount over it before digging in.

Mia sighed softly, taking a bite from her own plate, choosing her words carefully. "He was drinking too much."

"There's more to it than that Mia, tell me." Dom said sternly.

"No one really knew how bad it had gotten." She started quietly, stabbing at her gnocchi. "One night they were coming back from a race party and Jesse wasn't paying enough attention. He was following Letty and didn't see her brake lights when she stopped at a red light. Ended up ploughing into the back of her."

"Jesus…Were they okay?"

"Letty got whiplash and fractured her wrist from slamming it against the steering wheel."

Dom frowned. "And Jesse?"

"He was okay, just really shook up. The guys sat him down and talked to him. He went to rehab the next day. Hasn't touched a drop since."

"What about the cars?"

"Letty's Nissan was crushed at the back. She was pissed. Jesse's Jetta was worse though."

"Is that why Letty painted it black?"

Mia resisted the urge to smile at her brother's question, thinking it was interesting that he would single that out from everything she had just told him. "Um, yes and no. I guess after the accident she had to paint it anyway and her dad had been nagging her for a while to get a 'real' car."

"Why didn't she?"

"You know Letty, that Nissan means almost as much to her as dad's Charger does to us. Though I know she's working on something at the moment that she's pretty excited about. How was it, seeing her again?"

"Weird." Dom stated.

After Letty's one-sided argument with her father at the garage the day before, she had pretty much ignored him until she had fixed the problem with her car a couple of hours later. He'd kept his distance, not wanting to cause a scene in front of her dad and the rest of the mechanics.

"It'll get better, Dom. Everyone will just take time getting used to you being back."

"I know, but I guess I kinda hoped things would be different. At least with her. Does she really hate me that much?"

"Letty doesn't hate you. She was probably just shocked to see you and didn't know how to act. You guys haven't even spoken since you left. Give her some time. By the way, don't think I'm not pissed at you for not telling me you were back first." Mia gave her brother a look.

"Feels like she hates me and I'm sorry I never told you but I wanted to make sure it was really happening. I didn't want to disappoint you if my discharge didn't go through. Get your hopes up and all."

"I get that, but you still should have told me." She leveled him with a look before she saw his plate was almost empty. She chuckled, he'd practically inhaled his food. "Enjoying that?"

"Hell yeah, it's just like mom used to make. Can I have more?" He grinned.

Mia smiled and nodded to the bowl. "By all means, help yourself, Staff Sergeant Toretto."

Letty's House, 6:00pm.

Letty had seen Leon's car parked in front of her house as she pulled up. She smiled tiredly, knowing he would help perk her up after a long day of meetings with contractors and starting the interview process for new mechanics.

She scowled as she stepped inside, thinking about her dad already hiring Dom. Having him suddenly back in LA was going to be strange enough. Being his boss was going to be a whole new level of weird.

She slipped off her boots and headed for the kitchen, hearing sounds of dinner being made. She sniffed the air and grinned. "You know the way to a woman's heart." Letty leaned in and kissed Leon's cheek quickly before slipping by him to get a Corona from the fridge.

Leon chuckled and nodded, turning the chicken on the grill before raising a brow seeing the Corona in her hand already. "Long day, girl?"

"The longest." She mumbled. Letty took a long drink, feeling the cool amber liquid slip down her throat, quenching her thirst and providing an almost instant calm over her.

"Well dinner is almost ready but I'm gonna have to dine and dash. We're all going over to Vince's for a guy's night."

"We?" She perked a brow.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, shaking his head at her perfectly arched brow. He knew that look well. "Yes, Letty, we. Me, Jesse, Vince and Dom. Maybe Hector and them guys too."

"Why?"

"Because we haven't seen our friend in three years and he's back. I'm not gonna get in a fight with you about this," he warned.

Letty raised a hand in defence, dropping into a seat at the breakfast bar. "I wasn't fighting. Just wondered. I was hoping we could have had a Bruce Lee movie-fest but we can do it tomorrow I guess."

"I'm not sure when we'll be done but if it's not too late, I can come over after and we can watch one?" He compromised.

"Nah it's fine. Don't cut your night short with the guys because of me," she shook her head at the thought. "You're right, you haven't seen him in a long time."

"You know, you should come." Leon announced. Letty choked a little on her beer.

"One, I'm not a guy. Two, I'd rather not see him right now," she scoffed.

"One, you're practically a guy. Two, you need to forgive him," he responded with a knowing look.

Leon placed a piece of chicken, some asparagus and a scoop of mashed potatoes on each plate before sliding in next to her.

Letty narrowed her eyes before crinkling her nose in the way Dom used to always tease her for. "I don't _need_ to do anything."

"He joined the Marines, Letty, most people would be pretty proud of him."

"I'm not talking about this with you," she glared and shook her head at him.

"Fine, don't talk. Listen," he pointed his fork at her. "His dad died, things went to hell for him and you were there for him. He decided to enlist and never told anyone. He left without saying goodbye and you were pissed. I get that. Hell, we were all mad at him for how he did it but he was going through a lot Lett, we can't know what was going on in his head."

"Leon-"

"I'm not done," he cut her off and sighed. "You two were close, best friends and I can understand why you felt the way you did but it has been eight years. Why can't you let the past stay in the past?"

Letty looked down at her plate, pushing the asparagus around. "It's not as easy as that."

"Why not? Why can't it be as easy as that?" He implored.

"Because…"

"Because what Letty?"

"Because he told me he loved me!" She yelled and shoved her plate away, not hungry anymore. "He told me he loved me then he left!"

**Next: Dom and Letty meet again.**


	4. Replaced

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback, it's always appreciated! In this chapter, Dom reflects. Sorry it took so long, had a busy week but the next chapter is already written so it won't take as long for the next one.**

Toretto House, 1:34pm. Saturday, Mid-October

Dom was nervous about seeing Letty. For the last couple of weeks he had spent his time hanging out with Mia and the guys, deciding to avoid Letty for a little while. She had definitely not forgiven him yet like the others. It was best to let the idea of him being back sink in fully before he approached her again.

But today was Mia's birthday, and they would have to see each other. Letty was her best friend, after all. The thought of her being someone else's best friend, even Mia's, made him frown. Sure, his sister and her had always been pretty close, but he used to be Letty's favorite Toretto.

_Flashback – Eight Years Ago_

_Dom watched his best friend sleep. Sprawled out on her stomach, legs and arms stretched out, he barely had any room on his side. He didn't mind though. He was used to it. After Leon moved in and staked claim to the second bed in the basement and Jesse moved into the spare room upstairs, Letty would crash in with Mia after race parties. But his sister had a habit of kicking in her sleep. Plus, Mia usually went up to her room early to study before bed and Letty's drunken stumbling when she followed hours later had woken Mia up more than a few times._

_Now, if Dom didn't have a girl at the party, Letty would bunk in with him. The truth was, Dom preferred waking up with his her these days. The guys had commented on his lack of action lately but he had shrugged it off. If he was getting 'action', he preferred to keep it to the girl's place. Somehow, it felt wrong for him to take girls to his bed when Letty slept there too sometimes, even if he always changed his sheets._

_He pulled himself to sit up, careful not to wake her. Rubbing his hands over his face, he sighed. How was he going to tell Letty, Mia and the guys about his decision to join the marines? He had kept his enlistment application to himself, not sure if it was something he was one hundred per cent sure about. When he had received the confirmation letter that he was eligible, Dom's stomach had churned._

_Could he really leave his sister and his friends? It felt wrong. But it also felt wrong not to. He wanted to honor his father in the best way he knew how, with service. He had always respected his father's choice to enlist when he was just a baby. The number one priority for his father was to be able to provide for his family._

_When his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Dom was only ten. Mia was seven. His father suspended his service to be with them through the treatments. Amelia Toretto battled for over a year before coming down with pneumonia, which ultimately lead to her passing. During her fight with cancer, his dad had worked as a recruitment officer for the Army and Dom remembered spending a lot of time after school at the office. At nights, after visiting Amelia, he would help restore an old Charger his father had bought at a junk yard. He figured it helped his dad stay distracted._

_It was six months after his mother's death that his dad had announced they were moving. They all struggled with the constant reminders of his mother in the house but Dom was sad to leave the only home he had ever known. Mia had cried for weeks at the new house and Dom had run out of ways trying to console his sister. He'd even invited her to play with him and Vince a few times but she had just sat silently whilst they played with cars. _

_Nothing worked._

_Until one day when Dom had been struggling with his homework in the living room and he heard Mia giggling out front. Curiously, he got up and peered out the window outside. His sister was talking to another girl, maybe a little older than Mia but not as old as him. Mia was shaking her head at the other girl, who wore dungarees and had her hair in a messy ponytail._

_The girl was holding something in her hand but Dom couldn't make out from his position what it was. He moved from the window and opened the front door, stepping out onto the porch. At ten years old he was tall for his age, nearly 5'5 but scrawny. He had shaved off his hair angrily after his mom had died, using his dad's clippers. She had always ruffled his afro affectionately and it reminded him of her._

_Mia looked up at her brother when she heard the door open. She smiled the brightest smile Dom had seen from her since he could remember. "Hey Dom, come meet Letty! She lives down the street from us."_

_"Mia, you shouldn't talk to strangers." He said, cautiously stepping down onto the grass in front of the house._

_"Duh, she's not a stranger now. She's Letty." Mia rolled her eyes at her brother before turning her attention back to Letty. Dom saw the thing in her hands twitch and he furrowed his brows curiously._

_"It's a hamster, he won't bite." Letty said. Dom looked at her, surprised by her almost annoyed tone. Normally girls were nice to him. Vince said they had crushes on him, especially since he shaved his hair. It seemed this girl already didn't like him._

_Mia reached over and stroked the little hamster's fur, giggling again when it twitched against her touch. The giggle from his sister made him smile, he'd missed hearing it. Dom shuffled closer and looked into Letty's hands, nodding at the hamster._

_"Should you have him outside?" He asked her, touching the hamster's head when Mia dropped her hand._

_Letty laughed and Dom looked at her again in surprise. It wasn't like his sister's, sweet and girly. It was loud and deep for a girl. It made Dom smile. "His name is Houdini, he's an escape artist. My dad left the door open and I was taking him out to feed him. He got all the way to the porch before I grabbed him."_

_"I saw Letty catching him and called over to ask if she was okay. She came over so I could see him." Mia explained. "She lives at 1342."_

_"That's cool." He nodded, glancing down the street at the pale yellow house. "Well, I'm Dom, Mia's brother."_

_"Cool, I'm Letty, like she said. I should probably get this little guy back in his cage before my dad comes looking for us both. It was nice meeting both you guys. I guess I'll see you around."_

_Dom watched Letty head back down the street, his eyes following her until he felt Mia's elbow in his side, seeing her grinning at him. He glared at her before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her back inside so he could finish his homework. Letty had made his sister happy, he liked her already._

Present

Cars filed into the street and he grinned. He'd missed this. Mia sprung out of Brian's car, waiting for her fiancé before heading up to her brother, embracing him tightly.

"Thanks for throwing this for me here. Our place is a bit small." Mia said.

"Of course, anything for my little sister."

"I'm not that little anymore Dom, I'm twenty five today." She said with a look.

Dom shook Brian's hand firmly when the other man extended his. He wasn't sure what to make of him yet. His sister was very obviously in love with him but they had only been together a year before Brian had proposed. Mia wrote about him all the time in letters but Dom hadn't been home during the time they had been dating.

He walked into the back yard with them, helping set up all the food. He laughed when hearing the guys arrive and bear hug Mia until she was squealing mercy. His eyes scanned the yard as more people arrived.

"She's on her way." Leon appeared next to him, handing him a Corona.

"Oh. I thought maybe you would all come together." Dom nodded.

"She said she wasn't going to drink so she might as well take her car."

Five minutes later, Letty rounded the side of the house, holding what Dom could only describe as a mountain of presents. He rushed over to help as the present at the top wobbled off the carefully stacked pile. He held it up with a smile, holding it as he followed her to the gift table.

"Thanks." Letty set the presents down, rearranging them neatly before she gave him a small smile. "I guess I went a little overboard huh?"

Dom laughed. "Nah, not really, that's my pile." He nodded over to the large group of presents wrapped in matching striped green paper. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Just water please. I'm driving."

He nodded, grabbing a bottle from the cooler and handed it over. Dom took a second to take in her appearance. She wasn't wearing a pantsuit this time. She looked more like the Letty he had known when they were teenagers. Her jeans were more fitted than they used to be but had rips at the knees. Her black shirt was loose, hanging on one shoulder. The bare skin there told him she wasn't wearing a bra and he resisted the urge to glance down at her chest. Her hair was swept up in a low ponytail that flowed over one shoulder.

Just as Dom opened his mouth to say something, Vince called on him. He turned to tell his friend to hold on but Letty was already slipping away to talk to Leon and Jesse. He sighed, shaking his head. He needed to talk to Letty alone sometime soon. He refused to let things be weird with them.

**Next: Dom gets Letty alone.**

**Please review and if you have any requests/suggestions for scenes, I'll be happy to take them on board and write them if they fit into the overall story.**


	5. Trying

**A/N: Can't believe it took me so long to upload, so sorry! Life has a way of getting in the middle of plans. This chapter is a little shorter but it's their first real talk since Dom's been back. ENJOY, R&R!**

Toretto House, 4.54pm. Saturday, Mid-October

Dom kept an eye on her all day. He watched how she laughed and joked with the guys and held her own in a conversation with Mia about wedding flowers. He saw her move around the backyard with ease, mingling with all their friends. He'd made the rounds himself, accepting hugs and "welcome back"s from people he hadn't seen in what felt like forever.

He felt somewhat uncomfortable, like he didn't fit in where he used to. Even though this was his house, he felt like a guest, like an onlooker to his friends' lives. He had expected it and gradually the ice broke over the day and he'd settled into a conversation with Hector about the newest cars. He was so wrapped up in the debate over American muscle over imports that he'd almost missed Letty slipping inside with some dirty plates.

Dom chugged the last of his beer, holding the empty bottle up and excused himself to go get another bottle. He knew there was no more in the coolers so he could follow Letty inside.

As he pulled back the screen and stepped inside, she was in the middle of loading the dishwasher. Bent at the middle, Dom couldn't help his eyes falling to her ass, outlined perfectly in the jeans she was wearing. He must have stared longer than he realized because the next thing he felt was a bottle cap hitting him in the forehead. He flinched, frowning and dragged his eyes up to Letty's face.

"My face is up here, perv." She cocked a brow at him, one hand on her hip as he rubbed the offended spot on his head.

Dom resisted the urge to smirk back at her. He knew she wasn't pissed, more amused by the look on her face. "Sorry, but I'm just a guy, when you stick it out, I'm gonna stare."

"Uh huh." Letty turned back to her task and Dom leaned back comfortably against the counter.

"Can we talk?"

"About what?" Her tone was casual but Dom caught her shoulders tense for a moment before they fell again.

"About us, how we left things."

Her shoulder twitched again and he inwardly sighed. This might take more than a few charming remarks and a hug.

"We didn't leave things a certain way, Dom, you left."

Dom stared at her back for a minute, thinking over what he was going to say. He figured the truth was the best way to go. "It was too hard. Saying goodbye to all of you, I would've changed my mind. I wanted to, I really did. I even had it all planned then they moved up the date." He willed her to say something, so he didn't have to keep talking. She remained silent. "I thought it might be better that way. I know I was stupid and I always regretted it-"

Finally, she snapped.

"You took the cowardly way out! It wasn't better for anyone but you! We deserved more from you. I was meant to be your best friend! You couldn't even tell me?!"

She whirled around to face him. Her voice was steadily getting louder with each word but Dom didn't interrupt. He'd been waiting for this since he came back.

"You said you weren't feeling well. You said you were too sick to come into work and when I came home you were gone! You were gone and Mia was a mess, saying you had left her a voicemail saying you had a duty to honor your father. That's it? A voicemail?!"

Dom sucked in a breath as the anger in her voice became stronger. He had picked up on the lack of music from outside now and knew everyone could probably hear everything she was yelling at him.

"You hurt us, Dom. You hurt me! Let's not even start on the bomb you dropped on me the night before."

"I meant that." He interjected, his face hardening seriously. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you but I meant every word. I still-"

"Don't! Don't you dare!" Letty had closed the gap between them and jabbed a finger against his chest before shoving him hard enough for the door jamb to stick into his back painfully. He masked his wince as she continued her rant. "I can be civil with you, Dominic, for Mia's sake and because you're going to be working for me but don't expect us to be friends."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It doesn't have to be like that, Lett. We can put this behind us. The others have, even Mia!"

She scoffed. "The others weren't your best friend and Mia's your sister, of course she's going to forgive you."

"But you're not?"

"No."

"You're being childish."

"Don't tell me how I'm being, Dom. I'm entitled!" She jabbed her finger against his chest again.

Dom grabbed her wrist. He held it in his tightly enough she couldn't pull it away. "I'm sorry!" He yelled. "I'm sorry, Letty, I'm sorry! Okay! I am so deeply sorry I hurt you Lett but I can't go back in time. What do you want from me?"

"Nothing! I want nothing from you, I have everything I need and you're not part of it. Let me go or I'm going to scream and Leon will come in here with the guys and kick your ass." Letty countered.

"Leon? What, are you sleeping together or something? Is he fucking you?" His eyes darkened at the thought.

Letty's free hand connected with his face before he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. His face stung. He'd never thought that she would ever hit him. Dom stood, staring. Stunned.

"He's been there for me, asshole! When you should have been, he was there. You have no idea the things that I've gone through in the last eight years, because you weren't around!" Letty glanced at his hand still holding hers and took his moment of surprise to tug it free.

Her eyes watched him, waiting for his reaction but he kept silent. Still staring at her. Letty snorted, turning on her heel and slipped out of the kitchen towards the living room. This hadn't gone the way he had hoped. He had counted on her being the same girl he'd left behind. The girl who could handle herself in any situation, hang with the guys and fit right in, chug more beers than sometimes even him. He remembered vivid moments of her curled up with blankets with his sister on the couch, pretending to roll her eyes at Mia but he would see them fill with forced back tears when the glare from the TV caught her just right.

Were any of those things still the same? He imagined a few were, and he could see a lot of his best friend right there in front of him. She was right there but out of reach. He was certain she was the same person. The fire in her eyes, the attitude when someone crossed her, this time him. He had caught a glimpse of her fingernails when he'd grabbed her hand. Despite all of the pantsuits she was made to wear now, he saw the grease under them. She still got her hands dirty.

So why didn't she forgive him? Why couldn't she give him one of her patented crooked grins and hug him, tell him everything was okay?

Why, if she was still the same in all those ways, was she so completely different?

Was she still the woman he had fallen in love with?


End file.
